Chapter 12: Too Delicious

He Haiqin loathed foreigners, just as He Jiaqing loathed foreign students at school. In this respect, father and son were strikingly similar.

He Yuxiu gripped He Haiqin's hand and said, "Brother, listen to your sister for a moment. This physician is truly capable. Xiao Zhenggong sent him. Just let him try."

"Get out!" He Haiqin pushed his sister away.

He Yuxiu looked at Yan Yulin: "Sister-in-law, won't you say something?"

Yan Yulin took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and said, "Master, I've listened to you my entire life. Just this once, let me decide. Sister, please invite that physician in!"

He Yuxiu rose to invite the physician. He Haiqin was furious but powerless to stop her.

Before long, the blonde, blue-eyed physician, Chuitike, with his high nose bridge, arrived at the window. Seeing He Haiqin covered in blisters, Chuitike was startled.

Yan Yulin quickly explained, "Physician, please don't be alarmed. These blisters aren't contagious. Our family has been caring for him for two years, and no one has ever caught it."

"Damn it, you foreign devil!" He Haiqin shot Chuitike a glare, then turned to Yan Yulin, "Why are you saying all this useless stuff? Can this foreign devil even understand?"

"I understand!" Chuitike replied, speaking clearly and distinctly. "Not all foreign devils are bad people. I am a good foreign devil, and I love Pruozhou."

He Haiqin managed a strained smile: "You're quite the smooth talker, aren't you?"

"It's not just smooth talk," Chuitike unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his hairy chest. On his chest, five large characters were tattooed: "I Love Pruozhou."

Yan Yulin covered her eyes.

He Yuxiu said from the side, "Look, look! He's sincere; he even tattooed it over his heart."

He Haiqin turned his head away, unwilling to look at Chuitike: "I don't have your foreign equipment in my house. You should leave."

Chuitike shook his head and smiled, "Esteemed Master, do not worry. I don't use foreign equipment. I am a medicine cultivator, and I use the ancient medical arts of Pruozhou. First, let me check your pulse."

Chuitike diligently took He Haiqin's pulse. He Haiqin suppressed his disgust, not wanting to spare him another glance.

A few minutes later, Chuitike seemed to have assessed the condition. He took out a silver needle from his satchel, sterilized it with a candle flame, and gently pricked one of He Haiqin's blisters.

Thick, green fluid oozed out. Chuitike dipped his finger in some of the fluid, brought it to his nose, and sniffed it. Then he licked the fluid from his finger, tasting it.

Yan Yulin had just emphasized that the blisters were not contagious. Even so, seeing Chuitike put the fluid into his mouth, Yan Yulin couldn't help but retch. Not only did she feel like throwing up, but even He Haiqin, the host of the blisters, felt nauseous.

He Yuxiu had stronger tolerance. Her cheek twitched for a moment as she said to He Haiqin, "Brother, look how dedicated Physician Cui is! He tasted it himself, and he's still savoring the flavor in his mouth!"

"Ugh!" He Haiqin vomited.

A food cultivator should not vomit easily; it was a great disrespect to food. But He Haiqin simply couldn't help himself.

Chuitike's tongue was still moving, meticulously savoring the taste of the blister.

A few minutes later, Chuitike nodded, "I think I know the origin of this illness."

He Yuxiu paused, "Tell me about it?"

Chuitike said, "This illness shouldn't exist in this world, but someone created it."

Hearing this, He Haiqin turned his face, looking at Chuitike with considerable surprise: "You know who harmed me?" He had always suspected it was a sinister move by the Lu family.

He Yuxiu's eyes also widened, "Is it those bastards from the Lu family?!"

Chuitike shook his head, "I don't know who it is, but I can find a way to cure it. Esteemed Master, please give me a private room so I can prepare the medicine for you."

He Haiqin frowned slightly; he didn't want to take medicine of unknown origin.

Chuitike knew what He Haiqin was worried about: "Esteemed Master, please rest assured. I will remain at your residence until you recover. If anything goes wrong during this time, you may kill me at any moment."

He Haiqin glanced at Yan Yulin. Yan Yulin gave the butler a look, and a separate room was arranged for Chuitike.

In less than half an hour, Chuitike emerged from the room holding a test tube filled with white powder.

"Esteemed Master, please swallow this medicine. Your illness will heal very quickly."

He Haiqin looked at the white powder, his cheeks twitching intermittently. He didn't want to take it; he didn't trust foreigners. But in his current condition, even without the medicine, he wouldn't last more than a few hours.

Yan Yulin took the test tube. He Haiqin hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Yan Yulin fed the powder into He Haiqin's mouth.

He Haiqin's throat was covered in blisters, making swallowing extremely difficult, which was why he couldn't eat. Strangely, this time, even without water, he managed to swallow the dry, bitter powder.

Chuitike stood respectfully by the bedside, indicating he wouldn't leave.

After about an hour, He Haiqin, who had been extremely weak, slowly sat up from the sickbed. He was sweating profusely, and his blister-covered skin had regained a little color.

Yan Yulin's face was filled with joy. He Yuxiu exclaimed with praise, "Brother, look how amazing Doctor Cui is! One dose of medicine, and you've recovered!"

Chuitike smiled faintly, "Esteemed Master, do you believe me now?"

He Haiqin snorted, "Foreign devils' medicine is always like this: it treats the symptoms, not the root cause!"

Chuitike shook his head, "I will remain at your residence until you are fully recovered."

He Haiqin glanced at Chuitike, "How much money did Xiao Zhenggong give you?"

Chuitike spread his hands, "I cannot tell you that; it's a matter of my professional integrity. Grandmaster Xiao insisted that I must cure you, saying that money was not an issue."

He Haiqin frowned, "How much exactly? Don't beat around the bush with me!"

Chuitike was resigned, "Grandmaster Xiao gave me ten thousand silver dollars."

He Haiqin nodded and told the butler, "Give him ten thousand silver dollars and let him return to the guest room to rest."

Chuitike shook his head, "You don't have to give me money, Grandmaster Xiao already..."

"This is my reward for you! Now leave!" He Haiqin greatly admired Chuitike's medical skills, but this did not change his aversion to foreigners.

After Chuitike left, He Haiqin told his wife, "Yulin, bring paper and pen. I'll write my will."

"Master, what are you doing!" Yan Yulin wished she could cover He Haiqin's mouth. "You're better now; don't speak such inauspicious words."

"I don't trust that foreign devil. This might just be a brief rally before the end. Go quickly and get paper and pen. I'll dictate, you write, and Elder Sister, you bear witness."

He Haiqin was very stubborn, and no one dared to defy him. Once paper and pen were ready, the first thing He Haiqin dictated was to entrust the He family to He Jiaqing.

He Yuxiu said from the side, "Brother, let me remind you, Jiaqing is still lying down. Whether he'll wake up is another matter entirely."

He Haiqin shook his head, "I heard from Third Brother that Jiaqing is fine."

He Yuxiu snorted, "You're the only one who trusts Third Brother. Do you know what his intentions are? If anything happens to you or Jiaqing, your sister-in-law and I certainly can't fight him. The He family would fall into his hands. Jiaqing's condition now might even be his doing!"

"Elder Sister, you... you... you..." He Haiqin suddenly began to gasp violently, and the blisters on his body continuously burst.

Yan Yulin quickly supported He Haiqin.

"Haiqin, your sister was just speaking carelessly. Don't scare me!" He Yuxiu was about to go find Chuitike but was stopped by He Haiqin.

"Elder Sister, I'm hungry. Get me something to eat..."

Hungry?

He Haiqin was hungry!

If a food cultivator could eat, it meant they had overcome this ordeal.

He Yuxiu was overjoyed, "This Doctor Cui is truly miraculous! Just one dose of his medicine, and he's recovered!"

Medicine?

Was it useful?

No, it was useless, completely useless!

Those white powders were no different from the dirt on the ground!

In the guest room, Chuitike stuck out his tongue in front of a mirror. On his tongue was a pea-sized green blister.

It wasn't medicine that cured He Haiqin, but Chuitike transferring all of He Haiqin's lesions onto himself. From the moment he first licked the blister fluid, the lesions had already transferred to him. From then on, He Haiqin had begun to recover, which was why he could swallow the powder.

Chuitike was not a medicine cultivator; he was one of the rarest cultivators in this world: a disease cultivator!

He stared at his tongue, a smile spreading across his face.

What perfect blisters!

Who created these?

It seems there are others still alive in my Daoist sect. I must find him, and then kill him!

"Heheheheheh!" Chuitike let out a chilling laugh.

Cough, cough, cough~

He laughed too hard, and the blister on his tongue burst. The thick, green fluid choked him, causing a fit of coughing.

After coughing, he smacked his lips. With a slurp, he swallowed all the fluid, letting out a heartfelt sigh of admiration:

"Simply delicious!"

***

Pruozhou, Kudai Ridge, in the wilderness.

Train 1160 was still stopped. Outside the carriage, fierce arguments and sounds of fighting could be heard intermittently.

Li Banfeng opened his backpack and began counting the remaining food items one by one.